A little cyclist shaves his legs

Every year this statement comes up again in the cycling club that I regularly cycle with. Just like the question from friends who don't cycle. Why do you even shave your legs? We see the pros on TV with smoother-than-smooth legs, glistening with sweat and oil, flashing across the roads. I once asked members of my cycling club about shaving their legs.

Cyclists shouldn't look like a bear

First let's find out why the legs are actually shaved. The answers are actually very simple. Indeed, answers. There are several reasons why the legs need to be smooth. At least, among the pros.

Falls

In a bunch sprint people often fall, in a descent the pros also regularly slide and after a road narrowing you sometimes see a rider fly through or over the hedge. Cyclists simply don't wear motorcycle suits. A fall causes ugly abrasions. They are easier to care for if there is no hair on the legs. The chance of infections is also a lot smaller.

Massages

Especially during the big rounds, the pros lie on the massage table every day. It is not nice for the masseur to grab the hair of all those riders from his team. And it is also not pleasant for the person being massaged if the hair is continuously pulled by the massaging hands.

Aerodynamics

In a sport where many euros are spent every year on aerodynamic bicycles, suits and helmets, it is logical that shaving your legs is also discussed in order to cycle faster. The story goes that removing the hair reduces air resistance. Because approximately 60 to 70 percent of the air resistance is caused by the cyclist himself, close shaving is theoretically a possibility to limit that resistance. However, there is no scientific evidence that riders with shaved, smooth legs set a faster time. In fact, fluid dynamics indicates that smooth is not always aerodynamic. Think of a golf ball and the skating suits with ribs. So not proven yet.

Yes, the legs need to be smooth!

Well, for the pros, shaving their legs is really useful. But why do so many recreational cyclists ride with slippery legs? I once asked about this within my cycling club. The outcome surprised me. Just under 50% of the people who responded to the questions I asked them are riding around with smooth legs. This group does this mainly because of the looks (85%). Frequently heard comments are: it is part of the sport, it looks nicer/groomed with a tight cycling outfit, the muscles are beautifully visible. Mainly for an aesthetic reason.

A small number (15%) of proponents mention the more pleasant massage and the care of wounds in the event of falls as an argument for shaving their legs.

No, don't shave!

If 47% of people shave their legs, 53% of respondents do not shave their legs. That number surprised me, but apparently there are clearly two camps. Do only the fast men shave their legs? No. At least, the 'leg shavers' are fairly evenly distributed among the fast and less fast cyclists. But why don't the opponents shave their legs? Most respondents indicate that they rarely have a massage, rarely fall and that it is therefore not really necessary to shave their legs.

In addition, a small proportion consider it a 'hassle' to shave their legs and the question is asked: where do you stop shaving? A good question in itself. I haven't done any research into it. Personally, I think that if you decide to shave the legs, shave the entire leg (down to the groin). Don't stop where the cycling shorts begin. If you do, you have to wonder what that looks like at the pool. Although cyclists don't look good at the pool anyway with their white bodies, brown heads, brown arms and legs J

Can everyone shave?

Yes! Is the outcome of the research (95%). Fast, slow, fat, thin, it doesn't matter. We live in a free country and everyone should do what he or she feels comfortable with. But there are caveats about shaving the legs. For example, many respondents say that smooth legs create expectations.

There comes a time when you, as a cyclist, think: should I shave the fur from my legs or not? Then consider the following. The research shows that you are taken more seriously if you cycle fast with hair on your legs than if you cycle slowly with clean-shaven calves 😉

This article was written on behalf offietssport.nl